


Feral

by DragaBloodvist



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Astrid is in heat, Astrid!Whump, F/M, Feral AU, Fluff, Multi, PWP, Rape/Non-con Elements, Whump, a lot of fluff, and nobody can control themselves anymore, honestly I didn't expect it to get this fluff, like WTF even happened?, no a/b/o, weredragons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:01:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26549407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragaBloodvist/pseuds/DragaBloodvist
Summary: In the feral world of being half human and half dragon, it's more often the instincts that rule decisions and actions than anything else. And when Astrid unexpectedly goes into heat, it suddenly doesn't matter anymore that she's his friend. Hiccupwantsher! And as it turned out... he's not the only one!PWP with a surprisingly fluffy ending.NO A/B/O dynamic!
Relationships: Astrid Hofferson/Multi, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Comments: 14
Kudos: 23





	Feral

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, first: Even though there are things like Alphas and heat and rut in this story, it is not an A/B/O story. Or at least I think so. I've actually never read one. But I think things there are different? Anyway, I use the terms more in their original meaning. An Alpha is powerful and at the top of the hierarchy, a woman being in heat means she's fertile.
> 
> And second... I don't even know what this is! I wanted to write Hiccstrid being forced to have sex by their hormones... and then this happened. Honestly, they did it all themselves! I had no control...

Hiccup woke when the sun tickled his nose. He yawned and stretched, not yet ready to open his eyes, and enjoyed the warms on his face and bare torso for a little bit longer. So far, they had no solid plan for this day; they’d hunted enough deer and gathered enough roots to last them for a couple of days. And they’d only made camp here the day before yesterday so there was no need to move to another place yet either. So whatever task awaited him today, it could wait a few minutes longer. 

He only moved when he got the sense that something was off. Astrid wasn’t lying next to him as she usually did and even though he could hear her rummaging about at the other side of their campfire the atmosphere was somehow different. Tense. He got up and blinked to clear his eyes, looking for what she was doing. Was she… packing?

“Astrid?” he muttered, confused, and got up. “What are you doing?”

With a gasp, Astrid looked up at him. There was fear in her eyes and she clutched tightly at the big rucksack as if it would protect her from whatever scared her. She stammered, “I… it’s nothing. I-I just… I have to leave for a day or two.” She sounded urgent and Hiccup understood immediately why. 

She was in heat.

_ Fuck! _

He and Astrid were companions in this wild world without rules, traveling together, fighting together, laughing together. They were best friends, comrades, and yes, they fucked. A lot! But it was always just for fun or, more often, for dominance. They weren’t  _ mates _ , and whenever she’d gone into heat over the last few years, which happened two or three times a year with their kind, she’d noticed it a day or two ahead and had barricaded herself in a cave for a couple of days until it was over.

But this time, she was too late. 

Hiccup could smell it now, the pungent scent heavy in the air around them. Without his help, his gaze zeroed in on her, his breathing becoming heavy. He made one unconscious step toward her. 

Astrid’s eyes grew wide. She became entirely still, not moving a single muscle. “Hiccup, please!” she whispered urgently. “You… you have to fight it!” 

She was right. He had to fight to stay sane. He  _ had _ to! But by the Gods, it was so  _ hard! _ A woman in heat gave off this particular scent, a scent that would drive every man around her insane. And she was not just  _ any  _ woman. She was a  _ queen!  _ In a matter of minutes at best, he would go into his rut and then there was nothing either of them could do to keep him from taking her. His rut would make him stronger while at the same time her heat would make her weak, sluggish, and less inclined to resist. Their bodies  _ wanted _ to mate and produce a youngling, even if  _ they _ didn’t. Not yet...

“Go!” Hiccup growled. His hands were balled into tight fists, his nostrils flared as his eyes drilled into her. He just had to hold back long enough for her to leave. If she managed to hide before her heat fully set in, then they had a chance… 

In a hurry, Astrid grabbed stuff lying around her, food and a few clothes mostly, while Hiccup physically had to restrain from simply lunging at her. From pushing her to the ground, from tearing off her clothes, from tasting her sweat and her tears on her skin, so sweet. From plunging into her and feeling her hot and tight around his shaft. 

“Astrid,  _ hurry!” _ he snarled. His fingernails had grown into claws by now and dug into his palm. Blood trickled to the ground and the pain was all that kept him tied to his humanity.

Astrid didn’t say anything, knew better than to provoke him further. She just grabbed the rucksack and ran. In her current state, her wings would be unreliable, so she only had her feet to carry her. 

Hiccup forced himself to look away. He focused on the glimmering coals of the fire, on the cooling breeze on his skin. He could do it, could resist, could-

They almost made it. The fire inside him was nearly contained when he heard the sound. Astrid must have stumbled, a surprised yelp sounding to his enhanced ears. It made him look up in reflex, just to check that she was alright, but the moment his eyes fell on her, he was lost. 

There she was, running away from him, fleeing. His prey. 

Hiccup’s roar thundered over the plain as his wings sprang from his back, black and powerful. Only a heartbeat later, he was in the air and chasing her. She wouldn’t escape him, wouldn’t be able to run or hide. She was  _ his! _ His to take, his to give him a youngling. His to enjoy. 

Within seconds, he was upon her. She cried out when he tackled her to the ground, but the sound only made his blood boil hotter. Two well-aimed attacks with his claws and all that was left of her clothes were a few shreds hanging from her body. In a few places, she was bleeding from the attack, but they were only shallow cuts. Nothing that would threaten her health.

Astrid lay beneath him and tried to fend him off. “Hiccup, no! No, please, snap out of it! Hiccup, stop.  _ Stop!” _

He heard her pleas but they didn’t reach his mind. Nothing would, not until he’d planted his seeds deep inside her. She was fighting him tooth and nail, literally. She couldn’t get her claws out, not when she was in heat, but her fingernails were enough to leave bloody streaks on his chest. She was kicking, punching, screaming. But all that only aroused him further. Oh yes, she deserved to be a Queen, worthy to be his mate.

With every passing second, her struggling became weaker. She pushed against his chest, but Hiccup easily managed to shove her legs apart and settle between them. He grabbed her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head, the other hand loosening his pants. 

Astrid was sobbing by now. “No, please. Hiccup, stop it. Snap out of it, please. Please, don’t do this. I’m begging you!  _ Please!” _

But Hiccup couldn’t hear her. All he could hear was his blood pounding in his ears, the same rhythm with which it thrummed in his pulsing cock. Precum was dripping off its tip.

Beneath him, Astrid was straining against his hold. Or was she arching up to get closer? Was she trying to throw him off or did her hips move to urge him on? Hiccup couldn’t tell the difference anymore and to tell the truth, neither could Astrid. She felt hot inside, in urgent need of someone dousing the flames, and she instinctively knew that Hiccup could do it. She just needed his cock inside her, just needed his cum to soothe the heat. 

She sobbed when Hiccup guided his thick head to her entrance, in desperation and relief alike. Hiccup’s mouth curled into a satisfied snarl and then he pushed in with one powerful thrust. 

From one moment to the other, everything grew quiet. Hiccup relished in the tightness of her heat around him and in the dominance he had over her. And Astrid? She had fallen entirely limp. All muscles were relaxed and she’d stopped fighting.

A part of Hiccup, the part that enjoyed a challenge, was disappointed, but he’d known it would happen. In their rut, the cum of his kind was saturated with strong aphrodisiacs but it also had another purpose. It contained a potent sedative, one that only affected a woman in heat. One drop of precum inside her was enough to render her entirely helpless, unable to fight the man who’d conquered her anymore. All she could do now was make low helpless noises and take what he had to give her. And he had a lot to give!

The rush of being inside her was intense, so much more in their current state than it usually was. It made Hiccup see colorful stars behind his eyes and he hadn’t even come yet. He let go of her wrists, now just as limp as the rest of her body, and grabbed her thighs with both his hands. He lifted her hips for a more comfortable angle, pulled out, and thrust in again.

“Oh, fuck! So  _ good!” _

The words tumbled off his lips without permission. But there were no filters anymore, not between his brain and his mouth and not anywhere else. He kept thrusting into her with abandon and his moans and curses were only accompanied by the slapping of skin on skin. The wetness of her heat provided just the perfect lubrication, enough to keep them from hurting while still letting him feel sweet friction, every slide of delicate skin inside. 

His thrusts turned harder, deeper, and his hands grabbed her tighter and pulled her against him every time his hips shot forward. On and on, he kept fucking her, nearly senseless in his pursuit of satisfaction. She was the perfect object of his pleasure, so hot and welcoming around his cock, with her tits bouncing back and forth beneath her shredded clothes, and a never-ending stream of moans coming from her mouth. She might be sedated but that didn’t mean she wasn’t feeling anything. 

In fact, Astrid was feeling  _ everything _ . She felt his eyes on her body, hot and burning, his fingers digging into her flesh, and his rock hard erection pounding into her core. It left her shaking as pleasure was forced into her every cell and within only minutes, she came violently.

Her body became entirely rigid and her lips were parted in a silent scream as her inner muscles contracted around Hiccup’s thick length. Hissing, his thrusts grew even harder as he rode the waves of her pleasure. He came only seconds later, her walls massaging near-painful bliss into his cock. His orgasm came with a feral roar of victory, his wings spread wide in triumph as his cum shot deep into her hot caverns. The Queen was his,  _ his,  _ **_his!_ **

When he came down from his height, he lay slumped down on top of her. She wasn’t moving except for her weak breathing and shivering. When he pushed himself up to lovingly look down at her, his mind was still dazed, the rut not over yet. His cock was still inside her, still hard, his balls not spent yet. 

This time, he set a gentler pace, if only slightly. He rolled his hips to hit her deep, just like he knew she liked, and leaned down to mouth at her perky breasts. He licked at her sweaty neck and kissed away a lonely tear that ran down her cheek. The rut still had him in a tight grip, his mind unable to process anything, but his heart was singing for his beautiful Queen.

Her responses to his dazed and frantic lovemaking were beautiful, too. Low moans and cries, her body shook with the pleasure he brought her. Two more times, she came undone beneath his thrusts, spasming with overwhelming pleasure. Hiccup came again, too, filling her up to the brim until his cum leaked from their joining and she was entirely stuffed.

Chuckling, he sank down on top of her. There was more for him to do than just fuck her but he needed a little time to regain his strength, just one moment... His head was resting on her soft breasts and he basked in the blissful exhilaration that overcame him as his rut slowly released him-

-until he suddenly felt a hard hit to his head and everything turned black.

______________________________________

Tuffnut was in his feral form as he wove his way through the woods, his wings folded tightly to his snake-like body as he followed his companion. He’d noticed the scent too, but unlike Snotlout, it didn’t affect him as much. Or rather, he didn’t  _ care _ as much. 

When he reached the clearing and shifted into his human form, he had to roll his eyes at the sight in front of him. Snot stood proudly above two bodies lying on the ground. One was the Queen in heat they’d smelled and the other...

“Oh, shit! Did you really knock out a fucking  _ Alpha?” _

Snot grinned menacingly. “Yes, I knocked out a fucking Alpha. Quite literally, actually, he was still inside her. And you know that I’d do  _ anything _ to get my cock and cum into  _ her!” _

Tuff glanced at the Queen lying between them. Unlike her companion, she wasn’t unconscious; her eyelids were only half-closed and her eyes beneath them were moving constantly. But it was clear that the Alpha’s cum had sedated her. 

And it was  _ her! _ The long golden hair and pretty face, the battle-hardened body… Tuff groaned as he recognized her, the very Queen his companion was obsessing about ever since he could remember. Of course, he couldn’t let such an opportunity slide.

Snot was already shedding his pants, his enormous cock springing free. “If you wanna have her, too, you’ll have to wait. Or take her mouth. I don’t care.”

With these words, Snot shoved her legs apart and settled between them. “Yes, baby, finally. I’ll show you what a real dick feels like! I’ll give you something your stupid Alpha could never give you. And then you’ll come  _ begging _ to get more.” 

He thrust into her core with a satisfied groan. Tuff watched in fascination how cum squirted out of her at the intrusion. Indeed, the Alpha had already filled her up well. What exactly was Snot hoping to accomplish here?

“Fuck, yes! Baby, you feel so good,” Snot said as he started to rock into her unmoving body. “And just wait for it, I’ll pump you so full your body will bloat. Shit, you’re so beautiful!”

Tuff watched for only a few more seconds, then stripped too and knelt down by her head. Unlike Snot, he wasn’t interested in the prestige and glory that raising the youngling of a Queen brought. In his opinion, that was just too much work. But even as the effect on him wasn’t as strong as it must have been on her Alpha, the scent of her heat certainly didn’t leave Tuff unaffected either. He craved a good fuck and he honestly didn’t care which hole he could thrust into. 

He bent her head back a little and guided his snake-long dick down her throat. She made a few choking noises but otherwise took it well. No wonder in her current relaxed state. Tuff shuddered when his balls brushed her nose. Yes, definitely worth running here in a hurry. 

Tuffnut and Snotlout spit-roasted her with merciless thrusts back and forth, She came undone between them a couple of times; aroused from her heat and the Alpha’s aphrodisiacs, it didn’t take much to get her off. 

“Oh, shit,” Snot hollered when she once more spasmed around their cocks. “Oh, fuck, yes! I’m about to cum, baby. Yeah, let your pussy milk me dry. You can’t get enough, eh? Even a Queen is just a whore for me and my cock. Come on, come once more for me, baby. You want it, too. Just once and I’ll give you what you want.” 

His hands were squishing her boobs in a painful-looking grip and the sight was too much for Tuff. Hissing in exhilaration and with his wings trembling at his back, he shot his load down her throat and deep into her stomach. She gagged a little but that only made her grow tighter around his dick, milking him until she’d drunk every last drop.

Dazed as he was after his climax, Tuff didn’t see the movement until it was too late. There was just a black shadow and then Snot’s scream as he was brutally pulled out and away from the Queen. Frozen in place, Tuff watched as the Alpha, clearly  _ not _ unconscious anymore, pushed Snot into the dirt. The Alpha covered him with hard punches and Tuff winced when Snot gave a high-pitched cry that sounded a lot like a kick into his royal parts. 

Now,  _ that _ was to his liking! Not just a wet hole to thrust into but also a fight for further entertainment. His cock hardened again and he kept rocking into that tight throat, watching gleefully, when he felt the edges of two blades on his neck and a deep voice growled, “One noise and you’re dead!”

Tuff stilled. He didn’t even dare to nod or even swallow but the stranger still took that as a yes and let his swords sink. Tuff made a hasty step backward, pulling his now soft dick out of the Queen's mouth. 

The other man threw a quick feverish glance at the two fighting men, then quickly undid his pants. “What are you still doing here?” he snarled as he grabbed the Queen and hurled her around until she lay on her front. “Get lost!” 

Tuff threw one more look at the stranger. Dark hair and a strong chin with burned-in marks, and his skin had a strange metallic look to it that, depending on the light, shimmered red or green. He looked strong. Not an Alpha, but higher up in the hierarchy than Tuff was. He looked back at Snot who was still fighting with the Alpha but then shrugged and followed the stranger’s order and got lost.

___________________________

Eret's eyes followed the gangly blond man as he ran away, but his mind barely registered it. All that mattered was that the competition was gone. He pushed his pants down and brought his enormous cock in position at her wet slit.

And that's when he noticed. The Queen's scent had changed. He suppressed a groan to not draw the Alpha's attention, but that wasn't enough to suppress his disappointment as well. 

He was too late. The Queen wasn't in heat anymore, or at least she wasn't  _ fertile  _ anymore. Just now, she'd fallen pregnant from one of the men who had her before him.

Well, then he would have to wait for another opportunity. He could lament about that later though, now his body needed release. His rut wouldn't let go of him until he'd cum, no matter whether his partner could still receive or not.

With an impatient growl, he rearranged his cock to her other hole and pushed inside. If he couldn’t impregnate her, then he at least could enjoy a good fuck, and if he had the choice then he definitely preferred ass over pussy.

And her ass felt  _ amazing! _ It was so tight and combined with the friction that came from using no lube, Eret became cross-eyed with pleasure. Oh fuck, this Queen felt absolutely  _ fantastic!  _

He let his hands reverently roam over her skin, her thighs, waist, back, and ass, as he gave them both a moment to settle. He knew that it was the rut and the enchanting scent of her heat, but she felt so much better around his cock than his usual companion. 

Then he fucked her for real and it was driven by a passion and hunger he’d rarely felt before. He plowed into her hole with abandon, deeper and harder with every thrust. Her weak protests reached his ears but only made the experience sweeter. 

Before long his balls grew tight and his cock swelled with his impending orgasm. Unable to suppress it any longer, he howled and pulled her tighter against his pelvis. He buried himself as deeply as possible in her ass to shoot his load into her. 

Beneath him, the Queen groaned. Undoubtedly, she felt how his cum filled her, and he liked to imagine how her belly might bloat from it. It made him cum a second time right away, pumping even more of his spunk into her.

When he came down from his height, his rut had sizzled out as well. He felt groggy and tired and all he wanted was to lay down and sleep. His softening cock slipped out of the Queen, and as he slumped into the grass next to her, his foggy mind cleared again after the rut’s mindless grip. 

And he remembered that he  _ knew _ this Queen. He knew her name, Astrid. And he also knew the name of the Alpha who traveled with her. The very Alpha who appeared at the edge of his field of vision the moment he drifted off into sleep.

_____________________________________

Keening in despair, Hiccup fell to his knees next to Astrid’s nude and battered body. His mind had cleared again, enough at least that he could think  _ a little. _ But he almost wished that it were otherwise. 

“No, no, no,” he whined as he carefully turned her around and took her into his arms. 

There was blood on her, but Hiccup knew that most of it was his own, even as his palms had already healed by now. There were also scratches all over her front, dirt rubbed in from someone shoving her around, but they were harmless in comparison to the places where his claws had cut her skin. Now that her heat was over, it would only take hours for them to heal, but they were still painful reminders of what he’d done to her. 

Her body was trembling, cool to the touch, so he just pulled her closer to his chest to warm her and wrapped his wings around them both to ward off the cool air around them. 

“I’m sorry,” he wined against her skin. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry!” 

He kept saying those words over and over, kept rocking back and forth with Astrid safely cradled in his arms. He couldn’t even say for how long he sat there on the dusty ground, just holding her and murmuring pointless apologies. What he’d done, what had happened to her because of him… it was unforgivable!

“N-not your fault…”

Her voice was only a weak croaking, hoarse and brittle. 

Hiccup didn’t dare to pull away from her. He didn’t want to look at her, was afraid of what he would see there. But when he felt her small hand press against his chest, he did it anyway. He’d do everything she asked of him, even though nothing he ever did would ever make it up to her. 

“Hiccup…”

Oh, she sounded so vulnerable…

“I’m sorry, Astrid. For… for everything. It’s all been my fault!”

She weakly shook her head, placed one hand soothingly to his cheek. “No… It was my fault, too. I knew I’d go into heat soon but put off going into hiding. If I’d left sooner…”

She trailed off and her eyes dropped to gaze unseeingly at his wings around them. Hiccup lowered his head as well, his lips pressed into a thin line. Yes, she should have left sooner. But still…

“But I should have been stronger. I should have been able to resist, to fight it, and-”

Astrid chuckled weakly. “That’s not how it works, Hiccup. The rut is not something one can fight that easily and for you, it’s even worse.”

Hiccup grimaced. He knew that she was merely referring to him being an Alpha. For him, the urge to reproduce was so much stronger than for ordinary men of their kind. But the implication that he wasn't strong enough still stung.

Besides… "But I should have defended you," he went on in a low voice. "What I did to you was bad enough, but it was my duty to keep those other men away from you. I failed you…" 

Astrid huffed. "Well, yes. But I was just paralyzed and not unconscious, remember? I saw what happened. You got overwhelmed at a short vulnerable moment; they were very lucky. I know that, if they’d arrived only moments later, they wouldn’t have stood a chance against you.”

She reached for his hand and Hiccup appreciated her attempt at comforting him. But ‘what if’s wouldn’t change what happened.

“Maybe… but that doesn’t change what they did to you. What  _ I _ did to you…” 

He could remember it now. Her pleas for him to stop… the sight of those other two leaning over her, their cocks inside her…

Astrid took a deep breath and the movement directed his attention to her again. She was biting her lip, her eyes cast to the side, and there was a slight blush on her cheeks.

"And… what if I tell you that all that… wasn't so bad?"

"Uh…  _ what?" _

She sighed. “Hiccup, this wasn’t the first time I was under the effect of your aphrodisiacs. And you do remember how those affect me, right?”

Oh, yes, he remembered… They’d fucked when he’d been in his rut before, after all. And even fueled by those overpowering hormones, he’d always had a tough time satisfying her needs. She was always somewhat insatiable when it came to sex and his aphrodisiacs only heightened her need. So much so that he'd needed to rest for more than a day every time it had happened until he could do so much as  _ walk _ again. 

“See?” Astrid sounded amused now. “If I’d had the choice, I probably would have picked another option. But… them having a go at me was kinda hot.”

Snorting, Hiccup shook his head. Only Astrid could enjoy such a gangbang and even be flippant about it. And yet…

"But you didn't want it. You asked, no,  _ begged _ me to let go of you. I remember it."

"That… had another reason." 

She averted her eyes and one hand came to rest on her stomach. The gesture was small but Hiccup understood the implication.

"You didn't want to fall pregnant…" 

It wasn't even a question. But Astrid just shrugged.

"At least I know the youngling will be yours. They'll have a good life." Despite her words, she sounded despondent, sad even. But that wasn't what drew his attention.

"You can't know that," he muttered, gulping. "Any of these men who had you could be the father. We won't know until they're born." The youngling would be born in their feral form, the color of their scales and wings showing who their sire was. Nothing was sure until then.

Astrid shook her head though. "No, they're yours. Believe me, I  _ am _ sure."

And Hiccup believed her. He didn't know  _ how _ she knew but that didn't matter. Without his help, his hand moved to cover hers over her pelvis, awed. His youngling was growing inside her… 

Overwhelmed by that idea, he chuckled. "Well, that's going to change things," he mused. "We'll have to pick more defendable campsites, hunt more food. Though teaching them how to hunt their own food will be fun." He smiled. "We're going to be a family. I can't wait…"

When he looked up again though, Astrid was grimacing.

"You know that's not how it works, Hiccup. I'll have to retreat into a safe nest for the duration of the pregnancy, to give birth, and to nurse the youngling until they can fly. Then they will leave to find their sire, you, and stay with you until they're old enough to live on their own. I won't even see them again. Maybe you and I can travel together again afterward, in two or three years, but-"

"What are you talking about?" he interrupted her. "Why should we do that?”

“But…”

He shook his head. “Think about it. Why do pregnant women go into hiding? Because otherwise, a dominant man could track them down and harm them or kill the youngling after they’re born. But no-one will dare lay hand on you  _ or _ the youngling if I already claimed them.” That was at least one advantage of being an Alpha. 

Astrid nodded, but it was accompanied by a shrug and she didn’t seem convinced. “Alright. And thank you. That will make the pregnancy and nursing period easier. And the familiarization with you, too. I know you’ll take good care of them… teach them all they need to know…” 

She was choking on her words now, almost sobbing - and finally, Hiccup understood.

“You think I’d chase you away?”

She shrugged again. “That’s what men do. Raising a youngling is your privilege; we women are only needed for giving birth.” 

Hiccup choked on disbelieving laughter. She couldn’t… couldn’t be  _ serious, _ could she?

“Astrid… I’m not traveling with you in the hope of gaining a youngling! I’m traveling with you because I want to! I want to spend time with you, to be around you. To  _ be _ with you! I wouldn’t even  _ want _ to raise our youngling without you.”

Astrid’s eyes grew big, hope flaring up inside them. “Yo-you mean I could stay? With you? With… with my baby?”

Hiccup nodded, smiling, and before he could say any more, she leaned up and kissed him. Firm and hard, it was a deep kiss, desperate, and Hiccup closed his arms around her to pull her up and closer. There was a passion in this kiss, a fire that for once had nothing to do with sex and was so different from every kiss they’d shared before. 

Once they parted, she snuggled against the warm skin of his bare chest and he held her securely, stroking her back to further soothe her. 

“Is that why you never wanted a youngling?” he eventually asked. 

Tentatively, she nodded. “Yes, I… I liked what we had and didn’t want to lose that.”

“Silly woman…”

They both laughed, liberated, and after a few more minutes of basking in their moment, Hiccup unfolded his wings around them and they both got back to their feet. 

His eyes darted to where the grass had turned muddy from his fight with that other man. But the spot was empty. He must have regained consciousness while he and Astrid had talked and had been smart enough to leave without a sound. Hiccup  _ could _ hunt him down… but honestly, where was the point? He’d only acted by instinct, just like all of them.

Behind him, Astrid let out a laugh. “Oh, look who’s here!” 

As he turned, Hiccup spotted another figure lying on the ground. How he’d missed that one before was beyond him. At first, he thought it was the man he’d been looking for. In the mindless state of his rut, one rival would have looked just like the other. But why would he lie over there? He stepped closer just as Astrid nudged the man with her foot and he woke with a tired groan. 

“No, please, Heather. Let me sleep a little longer. Just five more minutes then I’ll go hunting.” He groaned even more when Astrid kept nudging him until he grudgingly opened his eyes and looked at them. “Oh… it’s you…” He was still dazed for a heartbeat later, his eyes grew wide. “Oh, fuck…” 

“That’s an adequate summary,” Astrid deadpanned. But even as she sounded annoyed, there was humor in her voice as well. 

Hiccup reached out his hand to help Eret back up on his feet. 

He rolled his shoulders, then awkwardly tugged himself away in his pants. “Thanks, man. I… erm…” He trailed off when he noticed both Hiccup’s and Astrid’s raised eyebrows. “I guess I fucked up royally?” 

Astrid snorted. Shifting her hips a little, she said, “I’d say you fucked  _ down _ royally, but that’s a matter of perspective, I guess.” 

Hiccup chocked on a laugh. He knew about Eret’s preference for anal sex, after all. On an intimate level. 

Eret’s lips twitched but he still looked remorseful. “I’m sorry. For the ambush and…” His eyes roamed over her nude body, taking in the scratches and slowly-forming bruises all over her. “Shit, there’s no way to ever make this up to you, is there?”

Astrid seemed to think about that. After her words from earlier, Hiccup was sure that she held no grudge against Eret. After all, whatever he’d done, it surely was nothing they hadn’t done before already. Eret was an old friend and they’d fucked around for fun many times. 

After a minute of thinking, Astrid nodded. “Indeed, your misdoing was great.” She paused, visibly basking in Eret’s guilt before she cracked and grinned. “See these?” She gestured at the scratches on her front. “They’re your fault! They’ll burn for days to come. So what I request as compensation is that you occasionally offer your services as a babysitter for Hiccup’s young- for our child. Understood?”

Eret blinked, a little perplexed. “I… your…  _ what?”  _ But then a huge grin spread across his face. “You’re bonding?”

Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a look. They hadn’t even  _ talked _ about it yet, not really. But the implication was there when they were to raise their youngling together. With a soft smile, Hiccup nodded. 

“Seems like it,” Astrid answered Eret’s question. 

“Oh, guys, that’s awesome! I’m so happy for you!” Eret came closer to hug them both and only belatedly seemed to remember what had happened only an hour before. “Oh, uh… sorry. I… I wasn’t…”

Astrid laughed and Hiccup clapped their friend on the back. “It’s alright, buddy.”

Relieved that the events of the day hadn’t ruined their friendship, Eret nodded. “Alright, I leave you to it. I better head back anyway.” He grimaced.

“Think your companion is missing you already? Tell her we said hi.”

Eret flinched. “I… I’d rather she doesn’t learn about this. I don’t think she’d take it as lightly as you did. Anyway... See you around.” He jogged off, waving over his shoulder, before his big green and slightly translucent wings sprang from his back and he disappeared into the clouds. 

They gazed after him for a moment before Astrid turned toward him, humming. “So… bonding, huh?”

Hiccup watched her carefully. Getting bonded was a huge thing for their kind. It ran so much deeper than just being traveling companions, meant even sharing thoughts and emotions to an extend. Bonding… was for  _ life. _

And at that moment, he realized that, yes, that was what he wanted. Sharing his whole life with Astrid. “Looks like it,” he replied in a similar tone as hers before and smiled softly at her. “If that’s what you want, too?”

Happiness brightened her face and she stepped closer, her fingers weaving through his. “I do!” 

When they kissed this time, it was so much more than just lips and tongues making contact. Something deep within them reached for each other, searching and connecting. Bonding. Hiccup hadn’t even noticed how he’d lifted his arms and wrapped them around her, how hers were around him as well, pulling him closer. It just felt so natural and right to feel her skin against his own, so much so that they were reluctant to part even after the kiss had long since ended. 

“It’s funny,” Hiccup mused, nuzzling into her hair. “When I woke this morning, I thought nothing important would happen today and that I should just sleep for an hour or two longer. 

“Mmh… I’m glad you didn’t”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> So, yep... this happened.  
> I wrote most of this in July as part of Camp NaNo. Everything but the ending where it switches to Hiccup's POV again. I thought it would just be a short conversation, just a little angst to round up the smut. AND THEN THEY HAD TO GO ALL FLUFFY!  
> Anyway, comments and thoughts are, as always, highly appreciated!


End file.
